The second Wiki Danser novel is available now. Please visit BHC Press for purchasing AND to enter their contest for a free copy of Murder in a Very Small Town.

Reader’s Favorite

February 13th, 2018

By: Arya Fomonyu

Malice in a Very Small Town: A Wiki Danser novel by Greg Jolley is a finely written story that is as disturbing as it is suspenseful. Wiki Danser believed that the future would be bright and sunny when she moved into a new home with her daughter. But there is something disturbing — the next door neighbor and the nauseating smell emanating from her property. Determined to find out what is happening, she alerts the authorities, who dismiss her claims offhandedly. But then children go missing from the neighborhood and Wiki can’t bear the thought that her daughter might disappear as well. She takes matters into her own hands, but can she unravel the mystery and save her daughter from becoming the next victim?

The only thing that didn’t have me spellbound about this novel is the title. It didn’t catch my attention, but the story itself is a great read and Greg Jolley has an impeccable way of bringing readers into the world of his characters, weaving elements of suspense into the story and building tension in readers. The story itself is gripping and the prose leaves a singular signature on the writing, placing the author up there with some of the respected names in the genre. The characters in Malice in a Very Small Town: A Wiki Danser novel are well-crafted and while the story explores an unusual phenomenon, the realism is powerful and readers can feel the fear and anxiety of the protagonist. This is a great story, plotted to keep the reader turning from one gripping page to the next.

Kill our darlings, indeed. Being a firm believer in the value and gifts a book receives from a professional revision, I want to raise the flag (and argument) for collaborative editing. From my first novel, Distractions (1984) through the following (so far) seven Danser novels, I have been graced to work with passionate and creative and professional editors. A second set of eyes; a professional set of eyes with the gift and crafting skills of revision and questioning are invaluable.

As a novelist, I live within each work for months; a daily dance of choices blended with imagination and all that I’ve researched. Therein lays the rub and the siren call for a pro – there are times when I can no longer see the pratfalls of style decisions (or just plain ol’ bad habits).

Part of the delight in writing seven days a week is in the exploration of language and its musical tools: punctuation. Voice is constructed with these, but sometimes the musician is off key, having a grand old time and so immersed in storytelling that the weed field of, say, semicolons or “ands” he or she has developed a jones for are tripping up the readability of the book.

In rides the editor, with a fresh and exacting view, who can take a scythe to that field of word grass, cutting for clarity and focus without nicking the flowers.

And let’s face it, no matter how many drafts a writer works through (I typically do three before a novel leaves the front porch), sometimes we can be blind to the fact that the 9mm Glock has somehow teleported from the kitchen table to the glove box in the sedan out back. Don’t know about you, but I’d much rather have this pointed out by a collaborator than a reader.

The final vital ingredient in the relationship is trust: the belief that both author and editor have the singular focus on readability. Not much else really matters.

Currently, the next Danser novel, View-Master (w.t.) is in the capable (and brilliant) care of Stephanie Jorgensen, quite simply one of the best editors on the planet. I’m looking forward to her ideas and revisions and suggestions.

Cream of the Wheat (1988 – scheduled for a 2020 release) Jared and Pierce Danser and Baby Ruth’s story of loss and acceptance, set primary in Hollywood and at the mysterious la Diana, the family resort in South America.

Greenland, California (1990, unpublished) BB Danser, off in search of a siren’s call that leads to death and destruction.

Songs Without Dansers (1993, unpublished) A collection of suspense tales including the introduction of the evil Will Power in the short, The Old Blue Sedan.

Viewfinder (2000, master’s thesis) It is Cream of the Wheat as told by Brian Danser, who survived the carnage his parents, Jared Danser and baby Ruth brought upon la Diana.

Have an hour? I’ll buy the espressos. Each slender Danser Novel is an opportunity to explore human themes through story telling. And the story takes precedent over thematic concerns. The personalities of the cast for each book dictate the novel’s structure (i.e., wordy or mouth? POV, levels of details). That said, the writes are really about turning these dear friends loose and scurrying as fast as I can to transcribe their antics and struggles. Quite simply, it is a helluva lot of fun and if it wasn’t, I would find another use for the seven days a week I’m at the desk.

A while back I answered that same question from another angle:

Because of the dance. Good and evil out on the floor, under the soft lights, the music varying. Who will lead? Who will follow? Or will they embrace? The Danser novels are about individuals and their choices, as well as their instincts, passions, goals and compulsions. But always there is the dance, the suspense: Good or Evil?

I am the author of sixteen suspense novels and a collection of short stories about the fictional Danser family. I received a Master of Arts in Writing from the University of San Francisco. Outside of the writing and out in the Real World, I enjoy surfing, exploring new towns, haunting book stores and coffee shops. I have two amazing sons, who are the spark plugs for my life.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

On August 10th, the new Danser novel was launched: Murder in a Very Small Town. The book is getting a good amount of positive buzz and it pleases me to have the first of five Wiki Danser novels off into reader’s hands. I’m also researching a novel based, again, on the movie industry, spending many good long days on the movie sets of “Memoirs of Wroth City,” being filmed in different locations in Michigan.Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

A few thousand moons ago, being an avid, passionate reader, I had they errant, but compelling thought, “Why not try to write a novel?” That question had a dare in it and I liked that. I spent three weeks tossing the question around which led to the real question that still guides my days and decisions, “If not now, when?” The manuscript box from that first novel, Distractions, is filled with the tools of the day: the book itself on legal pads in Number Two pencil, a tower of index cards and the second draft off a typewriter.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Typing “The End” on the last page of Distractions did it for me. I still delight in typing those two fine words.Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

For the latest work, I knew I was going to run with …In a very small town and that was the working title through the first three drafts. Murder was later appended as a natural choice, a nod to genre.Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style? Is there anything about your style or genre that you find particularly challenging?

I admire and am comfortable with the Elmore Leonard “school” of nonstop story being the focus of the write. The economy of his novels, as well as his ear and touch for dialogue are a constant inspiration. I am a student of people’s thinking and motivations and language. My on-going challenge is to give voice to character emotion, which I believe are a temporal, fleeting experience, not nearly as interesting, to me, as decisions and thoughts and action.Fiona: How much of the book is realistic and are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Outside of my researched and experienced very small town of Whitmore Lake, MI, on which this novel is based, the characters and their story are from that wonderful play land of imagination.Fiona: To craft your works, do you have to travel? Before or during the process?

Yes, and that is another invaluable part of being a novelist. For various Danser novels, I’ve been to Mexico and the Caribbean, as well as Northern California, Florida and many small towns in Michigan. Travelling with notebooks and pens and a camera is always a delight, as the seeing, smelling and tasting of the “real world” gives so much.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

My amazing publisher, Blue Harvest Press, does my cover and interior designs. They generously let me have a vote on both and for the cover art, send me three options. An admitted dunce at what cover design is most effective for marketing, I nonetheless love having the opportunity to provide my two cents.

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Each Danser novel explores the various heartbeats, themes, if you prefer, of good and evil motivations. For Murder in a Very Small Town, I chose to delve into the mental poison of revenge. In other works, I’ve taken on greed, madness, and that most common of evil in these times, the sick desire to control others.Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest? Who is your favorite writer, and what is it about their work that really strikes you?

During the past two years, I’ve been reading and learning from (and enjoying) James Ellroy, David J. Bell, Erik Larson, Mardi Link, historical works of the 1800’s and the magical South American novelists. I have no favorite writer, but cherish those mentioned and others who open up and share their knowledge, intelligence and wit.Fiona: Outside of family members, name one entity that supported your commitment to become a published author.

Wasn’t my parents (laughter). As far as entities, it’s the mind. Where imagination and creating and a passion for words reside, as well as a love of story. This same entity is where I get the motivation to continually learn about people and improve my craft and challenge it.Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

Yes. I write seven days a week, 5AM to 11AM, and after an extended midday break to get out and enjoy, I spend two to three hours with editing, correspondence and research. Makes for a pleasurable life.Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

No. If left to my own designs, I could possibly still be editing the first novel, Distractions, at draft number two hundred and forty-seven (laughter). I’m not a proponent of perfection in books or in anything else that humans build. I do have a strong belief in the importance of giving our best effort and aiming for meaningful, relevant ideals, but there comes that moment in each book’s life where, like an adored daughter, I need to nudge her off the front porch – well dressed, good shoes and a pleasantly odd hat – to have a life of her own (and allowing me to focus on the next write).Fiona: Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

Tons. I love to research and learn and challenge and surprise my thinking and assumptions. Research is one of the finest pleasures, even when it’s maddening. For Murder in a Very Small Town, I fired a few new types of handguns, explored ice fishing huts, drove the unpaved roads during a snow storm, haunted pawn shops, interviewed a local sheriff, surfed Lake Michigan and ate (half of) a fried pickle.

Fiona: If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

A twenty-something Meg Ryan for Wiki Danser and a forty-something Tommy Lee Jones for the crazed ex-sheriff, Welsey Lorenzo.Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

Don’t talk about, don’t discuss it, and for a few years, avoid writer’s groups. Instead, like that brilliant Nike advertisement states, “Just do it.” Also, while inspiration is vital and one of the best parts of having a writer’s mind, it is the craft that matters if you want to complete a write. By craft I don’t mean the mechanics so much (they are extremely important), but making story telling a daily effort rather than waiting and hoping for the mood to strike you. Also, work with a professional editor. No exceptions. Finally, “Yes, the bad news is that there are rules about writing. The good news? Each of us gets to make up our own.”Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

Yes, the reason the Danser novels exist and continue to be written is for you, the reader. My relationship with my readers is a large part of my daily motivation. Not the sales, not the PR side of this curious business. I am constantly encouraging my readers to let me know what they think of the books and ideally, why. And if they get to page four and the book is tossed out the window, hearing about that is just as important to me.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

The South American novelists, research of historical events and crimes of the 1800’s, Lapham’s Quarterly, true crime, and other non-fiction about: the US Marshals Service, WITSEC, Café Motorbike racing, and criminal psychology.

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

I was a library ghoul as a child, the kind of tyke who found it normal to read the Webster’s Collegiate dictionary from front to back. That and, of course, one of the finest literary works ever published, “Go, Dog! Go” by P.D. Eastman.

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

Only harm to my sons could make me cry. I live a decidedly low emotional life, seeing them as little more than waves that approach, pass over us and wash to shore. I’m working on my degree of empathy, both for my novels and to be a more companionate human.

Fiona: Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet? Why?

I would like to hang out with James Ellroy for a lunch spilling into dinner. That is a mind I would love to experience.

Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

Hanging out on film sets and during movie production, surfing, guitars, book stores, espresso bars and Jeep dealerships.

Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?

Noir. Anything by Justin Diemert, Tarentino, Kubrick, and documentaries, as well as the occasional Horror film (I’d watch more of these for the study of suspense, but really, most are just dreadfully bad).

Fiona: Favorite foods, colors, music?

Food: diners and taverns. Music: Nickel Creek. Alison Krauss, Jack and the Bear, The Allman Brothers and movie soundtracks. Colors: My favorite pallets are: summer and winter. I’m exploring fall and enjoying that learning for the current and planned next Danser novels. Yet to find an affinity with the colors of spring.

Fiona: Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?

Eat, Sleep, Surf.

Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone?

“Well, that was interesting.”

Fiona: Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events and special offers?

Thank you, sincerely, for letting me go on (and on) during this interview. When I first realized that there were thirty-one questions, I was feeling a bit daunted, but once I wadded in, I had a wonderful time.

Suspense:

The Art and Craft

“Pleasurable excitement and anticipation regarding an outcome, such as the ending of a (mystery) novel.”

Source: iThesaurus (brackets are mine)

Not bad.

The definition that I work within is from a good and interesting conversation with Vern, my brilliant and wise publisher at BHC Press, who said:

“When you know who the protagonist and antagonist are (paraphrase).

For the Danser novels, I’ve been working with my interpretation of Vern’s great definition of suspense:

“When you know the devil and who its perusing.”

Unlike the mystery genre, where the villain or devil are often not known until the cliff hanging, who-dun-it reveal, my spin on the suspense genre is to structure the books to share both faces and minds of good and bad. In effect, make their light and dark paths viable for my readers. It is also a helluva lot more enjoyable for this writer. And this reader.

So, what is the attraction to books of suspense?

The dance.

Good and evil out on the floor, under the soft lights, the music varying. Who will lead? Who will follow? Or will they embrace? The Danser novels are about individuals and their choices, as well as their instincts, passions, goals and compulsions. But always there is the dance, the suspense: Good or Evil?

Murder in a Very Small Town

The write of this novel was marked by the dance.

Wiki Danser is used to living a wild, free life up until she finds herself stranded in snowbound Dent, Michigan. Initially taking shelter from the storm in the local Quickee Mart, she is quickly swept up in the chaos and madness of a madman with a long rifle.

That same night, ex sheriff Wesley Lorenzo has snapped and is on rampage, working a list of names of those who have done him wrong, but not above taking down anyone who crosses his path.

The Dt’s are also letting me play a round of “Cook the Books” by offering you a free Audible version of Murder.

All you have to do is post (here or anywhere) your answer to:

Which Danser family member do you like the most? __________________

It looks like I’m being allowed to giveaway ten copes of the code you can use to download a free copy from Audible.com). So get your pens or pencils out and let me know.

If I don’t dash this newsletter on the rocks and they let me play again, I’m scheming on future free signed copies of the other Danser novels in upcoming newsletters.

I’ll be at Kerrytown BookFest on September 10th. My publisher doesn’t have room for me at their table, so I’ll be wandering around, mixing it up and having fun. Come play. Its free and a fine event.

My final signing of this year will be:

The Northfield Township Library

125 Barker Road

Whitmore Lake, MI, 48189

Saturday, October 7th, from 1 to 3 PM

On a personal note, I’ve grown a pair of sunbird wings and will be living in Ormond Beach, Florida for the winter. I’m jazzed about this new home and adventure and change, propelled by the constant mantra, “If not now, when?” Packing three surfboards, the studio and storing my fat snow boots in the boatshed. Hoping that this move, like any, will be a delight and also the cause of sparks and ingredients for the current and future Danser novels.

That’s all for now. They’ve got the stage hook out and are glaring at me.